Letter to the Editor by Janelle Weatherly
Re: Big Business vs Individual Rights
This summer I attended Moody County Commissioners Meetings to hear firsthand the proposed revisions to the Moody County Planning and Zoning Ordinance.
Moody County has contracted with First District Association of Local Governments for assistance in zoning revisions. First District collaborates with key ag leaders, the State and SDSU Extension to establish Confined Animal Feeding Operations within SD, especially along I29 corridor.
I am concerned that the individual rights of Moody County citizens are quietly being eroded away to favor big business; specifically concentrated animal factory operations since First District has targeted Grant, Brookings and Moody Counties to increase CAFOs and along with the state have identified 120 possible sites in Moody County alone.
First District realizes the powerful influence county authorities have in allowing CAFOs in. By identifying and aligning infrastructure essential for concentrated animal factory operations, sites can be pre-certified for quick approval. This will expedite the process when CAFO applications arrive. They can be approved swiftly thus eliminating resistance from local constituents. First District’s position is if a site has been pre-certified, it doesn’t matter if there is a change in ownership because the site has been pre-approved.
That would be like 40,000 plus pigs moving within 2640 feet of your residence and you have NO say in the matter. A CAFO could even snuggle closer getting a variance that cannot be referred to a vote when granted by the Board of Adjustment (our county commissioners). CAFO owners do not need to reside on site or even within SD, so they have no ties to support or be involved with Moody County communities.
CAFOs will affect EVERY resident within Moody County if we don’t preserve rural living as we know it today. Will we will end up like the Carolinas, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, and other states because they allowed CAFOs to operate under lenient guidelines while stifling individual rights? County Commissioners, learn from the history of CAFOs and don’t repeat the same mistakes of other states.
First District is advising Moody County Commissioners on final Planning and Zoning Ordinance revisions. PLEASE READ THE DOCUMENT AND CONTACT THE FIVE MOODY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. Call the Courthouse 997-3101to request a copy or search the County’s website: http://www.moodycounty.net if the proposed zoning revisions are linked next to the current zoning ordinance. Safeguard your right to be informed as a Moody County resident by asking questions online if a county commissioner can’t be reached. Discuss how these zoning revisions limit your constitutional rights to have a voice, affect property values, increase health risks, and threatenour land, water, and air.